All R&B, All Love, All Rooted in Boston

Inside SILK R&B with founder Real P, talking Boston roots, intentional spaces, and the music bringing people together.

SILK R&B has been bringing Boston together through music since 2018. Ahead of my first SILK event at The Tall Ship Boston, I spoke with founder and curator Real P about the community behind the parties, the intention behind their venues, and why staying rooted in Boston matters.

SILK’s slogan, “All R&B. All Love. All Night.” captures the spirit of that conversation: music brings people in, and the connection gives them a reason to keep coming back.

How SILK R&B Parties Started

SILK began at the W Hotel in 2018 as a free event held every other Thursday, bringing together around 125 people. That recurring format gave people a place to return to, with R&B as the common ground.

Before SILK, Real P would play R&B during his sets at regular nightclubs, and it wasn’t always welcomed by the crowd, so he wanted to create a space where people came specifically for that music.

We joked about SILK R&B parties being a thing before R&B parties started trending, and now that I’ve gone to a few, I can only imagine what a gem this was to people in 2018 lol. And for free? Sigh.

During our conversation, Real P spoke about the relationship between the music and vulnerability. R&B makes room for feelings people don’t always bring into their everyday conversations: love, longing, heartbreak, and everything that happens in between.

Hearing those songs together gives people a way to share something without needing to explain their whole life story.

There’s also something very familiar about singing a song alongside someone you’ve never met. You might know nothing about each other, but you both know exactly when that chorus comes in.

That kind of shared experience helps explain the community Real P described.

Since those early gatherings, SILK has grown to include an annual City Hall Plaza event in partnership with the City of Boston and Mayor Wu. At the time of our interview, it was also returning to The Tall Ship for its third year, bringing its sound to the waterfront.

Rooted in Boston

When Real P talked about SILK’s future, he also talked about its roots. He sees SILK as a Boston event, with a real connection to the people and community here.

During our interview, he pointed to festivals like Essence as examples of how deeply that connection can matter. These events have grown into major destinations while maintaining a strong relationship with the communities that helped build them. For him, that sense of belonging is part of what makes an event worth coming back to.

That helped me understand how he thinks about SILK’s growth. Boston is home to the gathering and the community he wants to keep building around. From those early nights at the W Hotel to City Hall Plaza, to The ICA and The Tall Ship, SILK has been creating its own history here, and Real P sees those roots as an essential part of its future.

Making Space for Black Boston

The venues are another intentional part of SILK. Real P explained that the team looks for spaces that are beautiful and unique, but especially places that haven’t historically felt the most welcoming to what he calls “Black Boston.”

That gave me a different perspective on the settings we’d been discussing. Bringing SILK into those spaces gives the community a chance to enjoy them together and feel welcome being fully themselves. The location becomes part of the experience: who feels comfortable showing up, who feels represented, and who gets to make memories there.

It also adds another layer to SILK’s roots in the city. Real P is thinking about where Black Boston gathers and how intentionally creating a welcoming experience can shape people’s relationship with those places.

The Curation Behind the Experience

SILK’s music comes together through its three resident DJs: Real P, Baby Indiglow, and Mez.Wav , with curated guests, including Super Smash Bros, added to the programming.

With Real P serving as both a founder and curator, the sound is a central part of the event’s identity. The selections shape how the afternoon unfolds. A familiar song can pull someone into the moment, give a group of friends something to sing together, or bring back a memory they weren’t expecting.

For Real P, Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You” holds a special place in that experience. He calls it SILK’s national anthem and plays it at almost every event.

That emotional familiarity was one of the most interesting parts of our conversation. It gave context to SILK’s focus on connection and to the audience that has continued coming back over the years.

Showing Up in the Rain

The weather definitely played a role in my first experience. It was a rainy day, and I was told by plenty of people that SILK is usually much more packed than what I saw. That felt fair considering the conditions. One rainy afternoon can only tell you so much about an event’s usual turnout.

Even with the rain, people came out, and I still had a great time. A couple of brave attendees helped get the party started by quite literally strutting up and down the dance floor, turning it into their own personal runway. It was fun to watch them put themselves out there, and as the music picked up, more people got up and moving.

The crowd and overall atmosphere felt a bit older and more elevated to me. There was a grown feel to the experience that fit the music and the setting. Personally, I found myself wanting a little more new-school R&B in the mix, but I still enjoyed the hits along with everyone.

Experiencing SILK after hearing Real P explain the intention behind it gave me a better understanding of the gathering, while leaving room for my own preferences.

A Few Extras I Loved

One of my favorite touches was the complimentary caricature I received. It was a fun addition and gave me something personal to take home from the day.

I also love a good photobooth, so of course I participated in that as well. Between the caricature and the photos, there were little ways to capture the experience beyond whatever was already sitting in my camera roll.

Those details added to my afternoon. I came for the music and left with a couple of keepsakes, too.

Getting to Know SILK

My first SILK event gave me plenty to enjoy, from the dance-floor runway moments to the grown, elevated atmosphere. But learning the intention behind it all made the experience more meaningful.

Speaking with Real P helped me understand that history: the free, recurring events at the W Hotel, the resident DJs, the expansion into City Hall Plaza, and the continued return to The Tall Ship and other unique venues. Across those different settings, his focus on community and vulnerability gives the experience a clear sense of purpose.

I’m curious to experience SILK on a day when the weather cooperates and the crowd fills out the way people described. But even in the rain, there were people ready to show up and enjoy it, and I was glad to be one of them.

What’s Next for SILK?

During our interview, Real P gave me a little peek at what’s next for SILK, and there are some really cool things in the works. I’ll let the team share the details when they’re ready, but keep an eye out for their upcoming announcements.

Until then, I’ll be keeping an eye out for the next chance to sing SILK’s national anthem with everyone else.